Project OAR expands with Scripps and ViacomCBS

NEW YORK CITY — The E.W. Scripps Company and an expanded group from ViacomCBS have joined Project OAR, the consortium working to recommend open standard protocols for TV programmers and platforms to easily manage, sell and deliver more relevant advertising experiences within linear and on-demand formats on smart TVs.

The two media network groups join the consortium on the heels of the group reaching consensus for the measurement and technical specifications for the management and delivery of addressable ads across all forms of television. At this year’s CES event, members of Project OAR showcased specs around linear dynamic ad insertion, ad engine integration capabilities with TV’s major ad delivery and enablement engines, and since then they have been pushing software and firmware updates to millions of smart TVs.

Scripps, which operates 60 local TV stations in 42 markets across the U.S., is implementing addressable advertising across a growing footprint of local OTT apps and joins OAR at a time when local broadcast advertising is undergoing a transformation. “Addressable advertising is a natural fit for Scripps because we have been early to understand and monetize digital and other technology platforms,” said Kerry Oslund, Scripps vice president of strategy and business development. “Supporting open standards for dynamic advertising in 1.0 and 3.0 broadcast television is a natural extension of our work as well as our mission to serve our audiences and advertisers on every media platform. We also are pleased to partner with the country’s most watched and respected TV companies and ad agencies on this initiative.”

Additionally, the consortium, which counted CBS Networks as a founding member, now has ViacomCBS’ entire TV footprint represented, including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and more. “We know the future of TV requires a smarter, more relevant approach to ad experiences,” said Mike Dean, SVP of advanced advertising at ViacomCBS, and one of the founding executives of OAR. “Giving the entire ViacomCBS portfolio representation inside of OAR underscores the serious investment we are making in the future of better programming and ad experiences.”

OAR network members recently showcased the technology standard working on a frame-perfect basis in live linear TV with a variety of technology and ad engine companies, including FreeWheel, Google Ad Manager, Xandr, Innovid, INVIDI and Crystal, all successfully utilizing the open standard for dynamic ad insertion.